One Day
by LVB
Summary: Vader visits the broken city of Theed, Naboo.


**One Day**

**Author:** LVB

**Summary:** Vader visits the broken city of Theed, Naboo.

**Disclaimer:** Star Wars belongs to GL and LucasFilm Ltd. All rights reserved for them. I don't own anything!

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He will one day bring himself to look upon her final resting place. He will march along the broken city's outer limits. He will look at Theed's shattered buildings, the many historical monuments torn down. He will look upon the Palace and his eyes will tell him that it is old, withered, shattered and dank. He will know it has been empty for quite some time, he will know this well.

Yet his eyes will not tell him what he feels. He will look upon the palace at Theed and instead of seeing a deserted, cursed place he will see its grandeur. He will see golden halls of wealth and nobility. He will see the Queen's Handmaidens scurrying about in the Palace's grand corridors. He will see rooms of memorabilia from ages past commemorating the great history of the planet. He will see paintings and drawings; he will see the Great Hall where all the rulers marked their place in Naboo's history. He will see the Queen, sitting at her throne. He will see her ashen face and her blood red lips.

He will not see the fallen city of Theed, the city he helped to destroy. He will forever see Naboo's paved walkways; see the city bustling with its natives. He will look up to the sky, and through his black armour, see the beautiful sun sending down its rays from the azure sky. He will not see a cloud in sight.

He will then snap out of the trance that wove a spell over him momentarily. He will look again and see a broken walkway, vines crawling out of the very ground he walked on. He would see a deserted city, not a figure in sight. He would not see the sun, but a clouded sky, a black and grey canvas threatening to rain. He would remember the reason the great city of Theed was like this; desolate, a fragmented shadow of its former glory.

The memory will replay in his mind like an old rerun of his favourite movie. The images will flash by like a disjointed fairytale. He will hear the words clearly in his mind, as if spoken right next to him. He will see clearly, seemingly with his own eyes.

He will remember the fire in his Master's eyes. He will remember the evil cackle that escaped from his lips; the way his mouth formed his apprentice's orders. "Burn Naboo…burn it all,"

He will remember how he hesitated, but quickly covered up his mistake. His reply, one that he has used more than often enough to be considered repetitive; "Yes, Master,", yet an internal war will rage on inside of him. Outside, he is with the Darkside. His voice, his menacing suit and most of all, his actions. But inside, the good and the darkness fight over him; for control. Anakin Skywalker will fight Darth Vader but lose again. He will know this loss has its consequences.

He will remember leading an elite squadron of newly-formed Stormtroopers to the quiet, defenceless planet. He will remember commanding these obedient soldiers, he will remember pitying them. He will remember fighting with them in the Clone Wars. But most of all, he will remember the fact that they will probably die. They were expendable.

His personal ship will land, beyond the city's outer limits. It is then he will remember the moment he realised what was happening. He will hear the trumpets; the funereal music progressively getting louder. He will recall the way the sound rose from Theed, the way the people's sorrows were multiplied into the atmosphere. He will see the fireworks and the streamers and hear the drums. He will recollect the way he felt mesmerized and he will leave, on foot.

Walking, walking, walking until, from the furthest corner of Theed's mighty city centre he will remain in the shadows, away from the city populace. His identity hidden, he will remember looking on in horrific amazement as the body of Padmè Amidala Naberrie, respected and loved Senator of Naboo was walked down the streets of the capital of Naboo. A Nubian tradition, her body exposed. Her body changed, washed and cleaned, given the traditional markings of the former Queen. Her eyes closed, lips sealed. Her face, ashen. Dead. Forever, dead. It is then he remembers his mission, yet he does nothing to commemorate this discovery. He simply watches on.

He will, just for this moment, remember his old life. For a silent moment, Anakin Skywalker is allowed to mourn the death of his wife. The march would have continued on, and he will remember his resolve. No attacks until after the four days of mourning.

He will remember Force-choking the troopers that objected to this tactic, back at the camp. He will remember waiting the four days. He will recollect the way the Stormtroopers tore the city apart. He will remember the way Theed burned that day, the screams of the innocent Nubians. He will remember the echoed agony in the death of the environment, the death of the people. Naboo truly burned that day. Destroyed by The Empire.

Leaving the planet, he would have thought this the last time he would ever set eyes upon Naboo again. Yet, he will be there again, year after year. Armed with a single rose, he would walk to the sacred grounds left untouched under his command all those years ago. He will silently place the rose down on the memorial left behind in the dead city. The plaque will say;

_Padmè Amidala_

_Senator, Queen_

_Naboo loved her well_

_And here she lies, forever eternal_

He will cry a silent tear behind his black mask. He will note how there was no Skywalker next to her name. He will place the rose down, year after year, and whisper through his menacing voice control, "I'm sorry, my love," He will then stand and forget about the Senator that used to be his wife.

He will become Darth Vader once more yet he will always think about the one day he will return to his dead wife's grave and not shed a tear. And he will know that day will never come.


End file.
